Nepal: Love at First Sight

Last month I fell in love, head over heels in love. I met the Himalayas. It was love at first sight. Forever, a piece of my heart will remain there.

In April of this year, my Dad and I decided to do the trek from Lukla to Everest Base Camp in Nepal via the Three Passes route. No guides, no porters, we wanted this accomplishment to be completely on our own. Guess what? Together, we did exactly that.

Trekking through Nepal was unlike anything I could have ever imagined. Our trek started with a flight from Kathmandu to Lukla, which was one of the craziest and most scenic flights of my life. The minute we landed in Lukla, we could see the peaks surrounding us. I was ecstatic. I knew in my heart that this trip was the perfect decision and was exactly where I was meant to be.

​In total, we spent fourteen days hiking. Fourteen mind-blowingly beautiful, physically and mentally hard, and truly rewarding days. Throughout these two weeks, we experienced so much. From gorgeous Himalayan views, meeting the beautiful people of Nepal, navigating our way along the trail, and meeting new friends, we truly accomplished more than making it to base camp.

Since we didn’t have a guide, we had to plan each day on our own. This is something I am happy we were able to do, and highly recommend to anybody planning this trek. It allowed us flexibility and our own pace. The people in Nepal were so helpful in sharing their knowledge with us. If you find yourself on this trail, don’t hesitate to ask for information.

The trails on this route are constructed beautifully and you get to go across many different suspension bridges that are decorated colourfully in prayer flags with views of the rivers and valleys.

Although the hiking is what I would deem easy to moderate, it becomes strenuous due to the impact of altitude on your body. Considering myself an active, fit, individual, I did not think this hike would be hard. I was wrong. With the altitude, I experienced insomnia, a bad cough, an awful runny nose, and the uphill sections were slow and tough (I remember one day counting one step for every two breaths). This being said, with the physical struggle, and the mental challenge to keep going, the sense of accomplishment at the end of the day is absolutely unreal.

If you want achieve a buck list trek in your lifetime, I highly recommend doing a trek in Nepal. The three passes trail was mind-blowing, with equal parts beauty and challenge. Unfortunately, due to altitude sickness and a parasite, we were unable to finish the entire route. This means a trip back to Nepal is definitely in my future.

​The experience of Nepal’s beauty, the people you will meet, and the things you will learn about yourself, all being surrounded by Mother Nature’s incredible mountains, is something you will carry with you for the rest of your life.